Why was the ByWard Market District Authority created?
In an effort to address jurisdictional issues and align strategic initiatives in the ByWard Market District, the city of Ottawa decided to unify the mandate of the ByWard Market BIA and Marchés D’Ottawa Markets.
- First, the city initiated the ByWard Market Strategic Alignment Initiative 2021 to address:
- Stakeholder willingness to take bold steps to address the jurisdictional issues and improve district operations, commercial vitality, and visitor experience;
- Ongoing stakeholder concerns with special event and project approvals, community safety and well-being, and cleanliness and maintenance requiring a coordinated service delivery approach that considers all interests;
- The evolving profile of public markets in a newly competitive environment;
- A desire to capitalize on the area’s “Special District” designation in the new Official Plan;
- The opportunity to advance the ByWard Market Public Realm Plan implementation; and
- The opportunity to effect meaningful change that highlights the area’s commercial and heritage attributes in advance of the 200th anniversary of the ByWard Market in 2027.
The working group in charge of this strategic initiative, formed in late 2021, comprised representatives from the board of directors from both the ByWard Market BIA and Ottawa Markets, with the city of Ottawa helping to facilitate meetings.
This led the group to reach a consensus on a new governing model for the district and brought to life the ByWard Market District Authority, also known as the BMDA.
What are the advantages of the BMDA governing model?
It centralizes district operations, eliminates jurisdictional confusion and resulting duplication of effort.
It creates economies of scale and administrative efficiencies, uniform district policies, defined placemaking and placekeeping responsibilities, coordinated programming, destination development, and cohesive branding and marketing.
It provides a single decision-making table able to speak with one voice on advocacy issues, deliver community safety and well-being initiatives, and curate the resident and visitor experience.
It provides the opportunity for the city to delegate new authorities and revenue-generating opportunities.
What is the ByWard Market District Authority’s role and responsibilities?
The ByWard Market District Authority’s mandate and strategic priorities include:
- Grow and manage the historic public markets, manage the market building at 55 ByWard Market
- Square, the other properties in the market, and the public realm;
- Maintaining the ByWard Market district streetscape and public spacesto a level of service higher than the City of Ottawa Quality Standard;
- Enhancing the resident and visitor experience through public spaceenhancements,installations, animation, branding, and pageantry;
- Supporting and advocating for property, small business and entrepreneurialinterestsBMDA Operational Boundary including the availability, accessibilityand promotion of local foods, producers, goods, artisans and creators throughthe public markets;
- Hosting special events and activities of both city-wide and nationalsignificance;
- Advocating for investment within the BMDA Operationalin accordance with theCity of Ottawa’s ByWard Market Public Realm Plan or other area objectivesas determined by the Member (CityCouncil) or the Board;
- Undertaking initiatives that improve community safety and well-being withinthe BMDA OperationalBoundary; and
- Embedding in all initiatives a focus on climate change adaptation, theadvancement of social equity, inclusion and diversity, and celebrating andpromoting the cultural and built heritage tradition of the ByWard Market and Parkdale neighbourhoods
Who makes up the BMDA’s Board of Directors?
The board is currently recruiting its final four members. The working group had previously reviewed and appointed 3 members who were approved by its Members.
In addition, the former chair of Ottawa Markets agreed to help support the transition of the new Board by filling an acting Chair role while the board is recruited.
The Mayor was appointed as a full voting board member, and one of the key committee chairs was also appointed to the board, to make sure businesses still had representation.
The current directors are:
- Bryan Chandler, Acting Chair of the board of directors
- Mischa Kaplan, Nina Kressler, and Grace Xue Xin as inaugural members
- Deek Labelle, Chair of the Business Advisory Committee
- Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor City of Ottawa
For more information, reach out to us at info@bmda.ca
